MUNICH, Germany (March 29, 2004) — BMW A.G. will equip its new 1-Series compact sedan with run-flat tires and a “tire defect indicator” as standard equipment and in all option variants.
Set to debut in Europe this fall, the five-door, five-passenger 1-Series is BMW's entry into the compact class. BMW said the standard fitment would be a 16-inch tire but didn't identify which brands would be used. One optional fitment will be 205/50R17.
The company is promoting the technology as a safety innovation, referring in its initial publicity to the run-flat system as “wheels with emergency running properties.”
Like all other BMW models, the 1-Series is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car. Customers will have a choice of two four-cylinder gasoline and two four-cyclinder diesel engines.
The 1-Series won't be available in the U.S. before 2007 at the earliest, according to Automotive News, a sister publication of Tire Business.